Soaring, Falling
by I Feel it Coming
Summary: [Everything happens for a reason.  If falling was for a reason...nobody saw it.] TRAGEDY with major TROYELLA
1. ProLogue

My first High School Musical story. I am SO glad my sister got me into it. I hope you like it, but as a fair warning:it's a tragedy story, but...MAJOR TROYELLA FLUFF!

* * *

**Title: **_Soaring, Falling_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre: **_Romance/Drama/Suspense/Tragedy/Musical/Hurt/Comfort_

**Pairings: **_Troy/Gabriella, Sharpay/Zeke, Chad/Taylor, and Ryan/Kelsie_

**Characters: **_Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay and Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, Taylor McKessie, Kelsie Nielsen, Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross, Mrs. Montez, Coach Jack and Mrs. Bolton, and Ms. Darbus_

**Summary: **_Everything happens for a reason. If falling was for a reason...nobody saw it._

* * *

**ProLogue**

Of course it had been raining. They hadn't had rain in Albuquerque for days. Yet it just _had _to rain on that particular day. Of course...as always.

Troy Bolton stared boredly out the passenger side window. The rain was falling a little bit harder than before when they left his house that afternoon. And the darkness of night just made it worse.

Troy and his father, Coach Jack Bolton, had been at the local colleges all day, searching for some good of interest to Troy himself. And of course they were all those big major basketball colleges. Not that Troy wasn't grateful that they were, but he had been thinking about fitting his girlfriend Gabrielle Montez into the mix of things, too. And of course his dad wasn't thinking about what his son solely wanted. At least not completely.

Rain was always a bad sign. Troy knew that much. It was like a symbol of hurt, confusion, and sadness. Possibly more if you thought hard enough.

"So," Coach Bolton broke his son's thoughts and Troy looked at his father. "Are you thinking?"

"Dad, I'm kind of tired," Troy sighed and leaned back into his seat.

"There has to be some idea in that mind of yours."

Troy ran a hand over his face. He didn't feel like discussing his options then. He'd done enough hunting for the day and he was tired of thinking about it physically and mentally.

"Do you think it's a possibility to include Gabriella into my plans? Not just you?"

Hey, he never said he was tired of or about discussion Gabriella into the plans. And he'd tried to make that statement with as much force and respect as he could bring out.

Jack Bolton looked sideways at Troy for a moment, then placed his eyes back onto the road. "Gabriella?"

"Yeah, Dad. I mean, she's my girlfriend..and everything leading up to her and college should be my decision, don't you think?" Troy brought his knees up to his chest.

"I suppose so. But, Troy, you know that she may not--"

"That's for her to decide, Dad," Troy shot back with just as much respect he could add into the conversation.

Coach Bolton sighed and turned his focus back onto the road. Troy laid his head down across his arms and looked out the window once again in boredom and some level of frustration.

Of course the tension started to rise. Of course it was raining. Of course nobody saw the careening truck heading straight for their silver Blazer and the basketball star's side.

And yet of course, by the time they had flipped over twice, it was still raining...

* * *

**How's that for a teasing Prologue? I promise that if you want more, I have planned out this whole entire story already and I would hate to throw it all away.**

**Jay**


	2. CaLl

**Oh thanks for the reviews already guys! I wasn't expecting it, but I loved to see them...even if it was only three, it still rocks!**

* * *

**Title: **_Soaring, Falling_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre: **_Romance/Drama/Suspense/Tragedy/Musical/Hurt/Comfort_

**Pairings: **_Troy/Gabriella, Sharpay/Zeke, Chad/Taylor, and Ryan/Kelsie_

**Characters: **_Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay and Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, Taylor McKessie, Kelsie Nielsen, Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross, Mrs. Montez, Coach Jack and Mrs. Bolton, and Ms. Darbus_

**Summary: **

* * *

**CaLl**

The call came late. Gabriella opened her eyes groggily to see her mom standing beside her bed with the phone in hand. She looked at her blue digital clock quickly and it mocked her with the time of three in the morning. She wondered who in the world would call at three in the morning.

Gabriella sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Who is it?" She mumbled.

Mrs. Montez looked like she had been shocked...not crying...but confused and maybe even a little bit afraid. This made Gabriella wake up almost instantly.

"Mom?"

Mrs. Montez looked at the phone for a moment. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize I still had it in my hand." She shook her head and sat down on the bed beside her daughter after setting the phone down on the end table. "I just got a phone call..."

Gabriella knitted her brows together and looked at her mom. "I just want to know what's going on, Mom, you don't have to be so gentle about it." But when she saw the look on her mom's face, she got worried. "Do you?"

"I'm afraid I do..."

* * *

Mrs. Bolton practically raced through the hospital halls. She couldn't remember a time she'd ran so fast before in her life. Nor could she ever remember a time when she had recieved a phone call so horrible to her dreams. Yet everything to her was a blur as her legs carried her through the throngs of doctors, nurses, and ordinary people like herself looking for their loved ones' room. But nobody could comprehend the worst in her mind. 

She ran into the elevator and repeatedly pressed the button to which her husband had told her what floor her only son was on. Her heart was pounding and the blood was pounding in time to the beat in her ears. She was trying to contain her tears, but they threatened to leak out. Her whole being threatened to give away. That the thought that her husband and beloved boy was in a car accident so terrible that they were lucky to be alive.

But only just. So lucky that her husband had walked away with bruises, cuts and a broken arm while her baby boy...

Mrs. Bolton shook her head. She didn't want to believe what was told to her over the phone. All she wanted to do was see it for herself. Not believe by ears, but eyes. And that's what she was determined to do.

The elevator doors opened and her eyes met her husband's. And in that still instant, all she could do was swallow and see the look of sorrow on his face. That it was like there was nothign he could do in the world to go back and re-do that moment. To keep it all from happening as it had. That he would do anything to go back and let it be him.

And all she could make out was barely in a whisper.

"Where---where is he?"

Jack Bolton looked beat up, but he wasn't thinking about himself. He was thinking about his son. And nothing in the world was going to keep him stranded in the ER while his boy was taken up to the OR, then into the ICU with no word on anything until the final moment when it was least needed or expected to be.

"Room twelve," he swallowed and pointed; his wife didn't waste a moment in time as she sprinted down the hall. He followed slowly. He'd already seen Troy's condition and figured that he would let his wife have her time. He didn't want to intervene in what she already knew.

Mrs. Bolton ran, bypassing everything else in physical body and mind, to the one place she could only think to be. But when she reached the doorway and saw her son completely motionless in bed, she almost fell. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walked into the dimly lit room, seeing now that her All-Star boy was breathing, bruised, beat up, scratched, and above all else, still.

"Oh, baby," she barely whispered and ran a hand down the side of his head in the most careful way thought possible. She gently kissed his cheek and thought in her mind all the information told to her before.

That her basket ball boy was completely paralyzed from his right hand down. That any possible chance of playing basket ball again would be nothing short of gone. That there was absolutely nothing they could do to fix it.

She didn't want to be the one to tell him...and yet, she did. But any thought in her mind would be his instantly. He would blame himself, he would be angry, he wouldn't like it one bit. Just like his parents. There would always be that resentment, but he would learn. Learn how to get along. Learn how to deal. He had Gabriella and Chad...he had his friends...he had them. He would learn to get along with the one moment that changed his life from here on in. He would learn.

Right?

A low, low groan escaped Troy Bolton's lips. Mrs. Bolton didn't touch him, knowing that he would need to be able to process everything in all at once on his own. But she didn't at least try to help him wake up.

"Troy? Honey, it's Mom, can you hear me?"

Troy coughed once and took a shaky breath, cracking one eye open at a time and looked at his mother. "Mom?" His voice was nothing short of low and raspy, but he was awake and that's all that mattered.

"Hi," Mrs. Bolton smiled wide and gently stroked his hair. "It's me."

Troy groaned again and she could tell that he was trying to move. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything and yet, she didn't have to. But all the world stopped when one sentence escaped her son's mouth.

"I can't feel anything, Mom."

* * *

Gabriella Montez knew herself, knew her feelings. She knew when there was adrenaline rushing through her. This was no mistake. When her mom told her about Troy's accident, there was no doubt in her mind that she was going to see him. Even if she'd had to break every speeding law in New Mexico state, she was going to see Troy Bolton. 

Yet after she parked her car, she ran like she was running the marathon. Raced through people and what seemed like time, her mind only focused on her love. Her mind only focused on getting up to his room and telling him that she was there for him. That she was going to help...that she was not going to leave him.  
The elevator ride had seemed like an eternity. counting the seconds and minutes until she reached the fourth floor. Counting for what seemed like hours, but was only mere moments. Time had never seemed so slow to Gabriella.

But when the elevator doors opened and she stepped out, she felt numb. Like her world was just about to fall all from one accident that was terrible, yes, but moments. In moments her boyfriend's life changed...and so did hers. Along with his life, hers was intwined with it. So when he fell, she fell. When he cried, she cried...and when he was in an accident, so was she.

Gabriella ran to the direction of Troy's room and was nothing short when she saw his parents. They had known she was coming. Her mom had called and Gabriella figured that they were going to allow her to be alone with Troy. She gave a small wave and shaky smile...they returned it.

"May I go in?"

Mrs. Bolton nodded. "'Course. Oh and Gabriella?"

Gabriella turned before she went in. "Yes?"

"He just found out."

Understanding what she meant, Gabriella nodded and put a sweaty hand on the doorhandle and slowly opened the door, almost missing the fact that it was partially dark in the room. But her eye caught the light above Troy's bed and then caught Troy. Motionless...just like he was going to be forever.

"Troy?" She called his name softly, almost like a song in itself. "Troy, I'm here," she swallowed hard to keep her tears down, but they were already running down her face as she neared his bed.

Troy turned his head slowly and painfully, smiling slowly at her. "Hey you."

Gabriella tried to smile, but couldn't find it. She reached down and took his left hand, raising it up to her cheek and resting it there. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey," Troy wiped away her tear with his thumb slowly. "It's gonna be alright."

"Aren't you mad?"

"Course I am," Troy gave her a look. "I can't play anymore..." He paused as if letting the words hit him again. "I can't play anymore."

Gabriella let out a mini-cry and he looked back at her.

"Hey, hey, no crying, come on, Gabriella," Troy whispered to her. "At least I can talk...and I have the use of one arm."

Gabriella shook her head. "It's not the same, Troy, it's just not the same, it's not," she cried aloud this time and laid her head on his chest.

"Okaay..." Troy looked at her and rubbed her back with his thumb in weak strokes. "Shh, hey, I can still sing with you, can't I? Huh?" He looked at her and half-smiled. "We can work it out. I'll--"

She looked at him, drying her tears, seeing the glistening in his eyes as a sign of the threat of hot, angry tears. "Let it out," she told him softly. "I did. Why can't you? You have more of a right to be upset more than I do! Let it out!"

Troy closed his eyes for a moment, a small tear making its way down his face. "I just...I've been...for so long, I knew that I was going to make it big...and in an instant...it's gone."

Gabriella looked down at their joined hands and didn't say a word. She didn't have to. He said enough for the both of them. And to be honest, it was more than enough.

"It's gone.." Troy repeated, as though he couldn't believe what he was saying. "I'm done...I'm all done..."

Gabriella gently kissed his cheek and surprised her when he emersed a cry. As if her kiss was enough to let him break down in front of her willingly. As if she was his whole world left in that room.

"It's okay," she whispered and held him gently. "We'll get through it. We're all in this together..."

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to be as dramatic, sweet, and detailed as I could.**

**Jay**


	3. LeaRning SoNg

**I am so on a HSM hype now. My mom bought me the first and second CD yesterday, a shirt, the first movie and a notebook/folder combo! Talk about hype!**

* * *

**Title: **_Soaring, Falling_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre: **_Romance/Drama/Suspense/Tragedy/Musical/Hurt/Comfort_

**Pairings: **_Troy/Gabriella, Sharpay/Zeke, Chad/Taylor, and Ryan/Kelsie_

**Characters: **_Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Sharpay and Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, Taylor McKessie, Kelsie Nielsen, Zeke Baylor, Jason Cross, Mrs. Montez, Coach Jack and Mrs. Bolton, and Ms. Darbus_

* * *

**LeaRning SoNg**

"Lots of people can write with both hands, Troy. At least try it," Gabriella pleaded, sitting in a chair beside his hospital bed. Laying in front of Troy on his table was a pad and single pen. Gabriella was trying to teach him how to write with his left hand since he was right handed. So far, it wasn't working out as she would have thought.

"Yeah, apparently I'm not one of them," Troy looked at her and tapped his index finger on the table. He stared at the pad and sighed deeply. If he'd had things his way, none of this would have ever happened. He never wanted to go college hunting in the first place, but his dad had made him. And if his dad hadn't forced him to go college hunting, he wouldn't be paralyzed and learning how to write with his left hand.

Gabriella stood up and gently took his hand and placed the pen inside his grasp. "At least try again." Her eyes looked straight into his with a plead so strong that Troy had no choice but to sigh and give in.

Slowly, she lead his hand to write out his name and let go of his hand at "O", only to watch Troy's hand start to get shaky and the letters become nothing more than jutted out lines.

"It's not going to work," Troy sighed in sheer frustration and dropped his hand. Gabriella looked at him for a moment, then sat down on the bed beside him and took his hand gently.

"Hey," she said softly, causing him to look up at her. "Troy, listen..." She took a breath and stroked his hand before her voice evolved into soft notes. "I know that it can hurt...I know that you are going through a tough time...But you just gotta believe...Just gotta listen to the song..." She smiled slowly and went on, "If you stop trying, then I stop, too...Because when you hurt, you know that I can feel it...And when you doubt, I start to fall in the same way."

Troy looked sincerely at her and let his eyes drop, following her tune. "You know your world changes in an instant...But you can never know how true it is until it happens to you...I tried to be hesitant and yet I fell in the end..."

Gabriella lifted his face to look at her and gently stroked his cheek. "But we got to move on and see what's in store...We need to do what's right for us...Because you know that no matter what happens, I will always stick beside you."

Troy let out a crooked, small smile as she gently kissed him. "Thank you."

"As long as you need me, I'll help you. It doesn't matter what will happen," she told him in the most serious, loving tone she could muster. "But we need to move on. Look ahead to what we can and will be able to do."

Troy nodded and looked back at the pad. "I think I'm ready to do just that."

Smiling, Gabriella held out the pen to him. "I think you are, too."

* * *

**WEEK LATER**

Gabriella followed Troy around the corner nearing the school. It had been a week since the accident and Troy could not get the hang of writing with his left hand. The only alternative was for her to write for him during classes. Before Troy had been released, he'd been equipped with a motorized wheelchair that he could operate on his own via joystick on his left side. The other alternative was a chair that he had to operate himself with one arm. They had all agreed that this would be best to keep up his arm strength along with some of the weight exercises he would need to do.

"Are you nervous?" Gabriella asked suddenly.

Troy shook his head. "Not really."

"What about Chad...and everybody else? I mean, they don't exactly know."

"That's because I wanted to tell them what happened myself when I saw them," Troy replied. "Relax, Gabriella, it'll be fine."

Of course she nodded, but she didn't feel so reasurred. She knew that as soon as he was spotted, words would start flying and the pressure would soon mount on his shoulders. But of course she didn't let him know that.

When East High came into view, Troy Bolton felt the nerves settling in. He didn't want Gabriella to know that, though. He knew from the start of things that Chad and the rest of the team would not be happy in the slightest bit about his accident and forever condition. Yet he hoped that they would come to a realization.

Eventually.

Whispers and points bypassed the two as they went through the halls. Gabriella looked, as always when she heard whispers her way. Troy was trying his best to keep himself composed. But when Chad caught his eye, the nerves hit overdrive.

"Maybe we should go?"

Gabriella looked at where he was looking. "But didn't you want to--"

"Hey!"

"Too late," Troy rolled his eyes and sighed deeply.

Gabriella looked at him and shrugged. "Just...tell him what happened. I mean, if he hasn't already heard half of the story."

"Easy for everybody else to say," Troy mumbled under his breath as Chad Danforth and Jason Cross made their way over to the two.

"Hey Troy! Hey...woah wait a minute..." Chad slowed to a stop in front of Troy and looked so lost that you would have sworn that he was in another dimension. "What the heck is up with this?"

Troy shrugged his left shoulder. "Accident."

"Wh--it's temporary, right?" Jason put in, almost just as disbelieving as Chad.

Gabriella chewed the bottom of her lip and Troy looked at her for a moment before looking back at the two boys with a heavy sigh, preparing himself for the worst to come with his news.

"I got into a car accident with my dad and got paralyzed from my right arm down," he said in a somewhat flat tone, not looking up at Chad or Jason, for fear of seeing what he knew he would see.

Chad almost paled. "Are you kidding me? You're kidding me, right? I mean...you're kidding me!" He tried to pass off a laugh as if it truly was a joke, but one look at Gabriella, then back at Troy, he let it sink in. "You're not kidding me."

Troy felt anger rise. "No, you think," he shot out sarcasm that tasted more like venom than anything else and Gabriella decided to step in. "Maybe we should get to class, Troy."

Troy looked at her. "Yeah. Me too." He looked back at Chad and Jason. "Move before I run you over," he swiftly thrust his joystick full force forward and breezed past them, then slowed down once he was a good distance enough for Gabriella to have followed him.

Chad turned and followed them with his eyes. "Gabriella! Troy, hey, come on!" He called out to them both, half hoping that they would turn around and give him and Jason a bigger explaination, but neither of them did so.

"Was he really serious?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Chad said slowly, looking at him for a spare moment. "I guess so."

* * *

**Hope you liked. My favorite part was the singing. **

**Jay**


	4. ClaSs ACt

I'm feeling a little down today and this past week with being sick, so I'm not sure how up to date I will be, but I promise you all that I will try my best.

* * *

**ClaSs ACt**

"Troy Bolton...Troy Bolton?" Ms. Darbus called twice; Chad looked around warily, not seeing his new-foundly wheelchaired buddy in the room. Nor did he see Gabriella.

"Troy Bolton?"

"Ahnm..." Troy was in the doorway with Gabriella not far behind him. He let his eyes travel to Chad for only a moment before looking back at Ms. Darbus. "I'm here."

Ms. Darbus looked at Troy over her large glasses. "Ah yes. Here you are. I spoke to your parents and everything is in arrangement."

Troy's face turned a light pink from embarrassment. He did expect special treatment, but it didn't mean that he wanted it. Especially with his lack of playing basket ball now. But he nodded, nonetheless. "Yeah."

"And Miss Montez is your--"

"Yes," Troy's voice got edgy. "She is."

Ms. Darbus didn't note the edgy tone in Troy's voice, but Troy felt his ears get hotter and hotter as he made his way to his normal spot which no longer had a desk. There was, however, a desk beside him very close where Gabriella would sit. Yet through this all, Troy felt all eyes on him and wished that there was a way to escape.

Gabriella sat in her desk next to him and looked for a spare moment at his face. "Hey," she whispered lightly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Troy's tone was still sharp, "fine. Let's just..." He shook his head and pointed his eyes to his bag strapped onto his handle of his chair. "Notebook?"

Gabreilla let the tone and temper slide for now, knowing that he was still going through the embarrassment and reached for his notebook and opened it on her desk.

"Hold on," Troy pushed a button with a shaky thumb and waited for the table on his chair to pull out. "There."

Gabriella found the will to smile and laid his notebook on the small table and pulled out a pen. "Do you really not want to try writing on your own?"

"We could," Troy shrugged his left shoulder. After a pause, he lifted his hand and left it open for Gabriella to put the pen inside his grasp. He watched as Gabriella put it in his hand gently and then held his hand, guiding it to write. But the frustration soon seemed too much for Troy and he dropped the pen.

"What--"

"I can't...you do it," he sighed and shook his head, shoving the notebook towards her.

Gabriella took the tone to heart this time and made a mental note to talk to him later. "Okay...okay, it's alright. That's why I'm here."

"Hey," Chad whispered harshly and turned to them. "Keep it."

Troy sent a glare his way and replied just as harshly, "You never liked this class anyway, what's the big deal now?"

"Because it's the--"

"Mr. Danforth...Mr. Bolton...is there a problem?" Ms. Darbus turned to the two boys.

Troy sent an angry glare at Chad while Chad fought the urge to do more. "No Ms. Darbus," they answered at the same time.

"Good. Then I would like to continue if you wouldn't mind."

Troy sighed and looked at Gabriella for a spare moment. "What am I supposed to do?"

"What do you mean?" Gabriella was writing.

"I don't know how much of this I'm going to be able to take."

Gabriella looked up at him. "Troy, this isn't your fault...your problem."

"Yeah, it is."

Sighing, she turned back to writing and Troy brought his hand to his forehead, ignoring all aspect that Chad was even there in the same room as he was.

* * *

Troy had insited on it...had told Gabriella that he needed to do this alone. That he needed to fight his own battles on his own time...well not exactly in those words, but somewhat close to it. But the fact of the matter was that he needed to talk to the boys alone...on his own time. And the only way for him to do that was to talk to them at the basket ball practice. 

Which was the one place he really didn't want to be.

His eyes caught Chad, Jason, and Zeke Baylor almost instantly. And almost in an instant, he wished that he could practice with them. And in that moment, he almost forgot all anger.

"Chad," Troy's throat felt dry.

Chad turned around and looked at Troy almost in surprise, yet in somewhat of a despise. As if the whole accident had turned his world around. Not that it probably didn't, but who was he to say what should and shouldn't be said?

Tossing the ball behind him, Chad walked towards Troy. "Hey...what are you doing here?"

Troy shrugged his one shoulder. "I just wanted to talk."

"Really? Is that all?"

"Yeah...why else would I be here? I mean, it's obvious I can't play anymore, right?" Troy didn't mean to snide the comment so rudely, but it came out like that.

Chad looked Troy up and down. "So this is permanent I guess."

"As permanent as you are ever going to get."

"I don't understand...why did this happen?" Chad put his hand to his forehead for a spare moment as if trying to make sense of it all. As if the problem in itself was just going to leave.

Troy sighed. "Look, Chad, it's not like I wanted this to happen, what you think I _did_? If so, you're insane and what's worse, a worse friend at that!"

Chad had fire in his eyes, but Troy wasn't scared in the least. "Look, Troy, if you would have told us ths in an _advance_ I wouldn't be so miffed!"

"I wanted to tell you face to face, Chad! I didn't want my parents to have to call your parents like they did with Gabriella and have your parents tell you!"

"Oh so this is about Gabriella now, is it?"

"No! It's not! This is about _you_...trying to make you understand what happened and for you to help me out!" Troy was red angry by then, not wanting to start something up, but knowing that it was too late.

Chad huffed and turned his back for a moment, shaking his head in pure frustration and anger. Both of which he couldn't deny nor understand enough to force down or away.

Troy sighed and looked at Jason and Zeke, back to Chad. "You really think I expected this to happen? Basket ball was my life, it still is! I was so close to getting a scholarship! I was so close to knowing what my future held, but it's gone now, Chad, gone!" Troy waved his left hand while talking. "How would you feel if you had everything you wanted stripped away in less than a moment by something you couldn't control? Huh? How would you feel? Would you take it as is or would you try everything in your power to help your friend?"

Silence filled the gym, the only sound runing through their ears was the humming of lights above them. Chad looked at Troy; Troy looked at Chad...all of the boys looked at each other before Troy sighed.

"Yeah...that's what I thought." He turned his chair and started out. There was not a moment in life to where Chad wished that he could take everything back.

But everybody in the world knows that you can never take back what you did.

* * *

**Jay**


	5. DiNe FiNe

**Thanks so much for all the reviews. Love you guys mucho.**

* * *

**DiNe FiNe**

By the time five rolled around, Troy was wipped out silly. He didn't want to talk about school, but knew that his mom would bring it up at dinner. As for his dad? Well, Troy just didn't want to think about his dad at this point.

"Troy?"

Sighing, Troy leaned her head all the way back and closed his eyes for a minute. That call normally meant dinner, which normally meant he was all for it...which this time, he really didn't want to talk about anything that had went on that day.

Not in the slightest bit, anyway.

"Coming, Mom," he answered as normally as he could and gently wheeled himself in the direction of the dining room. He saw his mother going about her normal route of preparing dinner and looked up at the stairs when he heard his father's footsteps. He gave an inward sigh and wheeled over to the table, avoiding his mother's eye at all costs unless it was absolutely necessary.

Mrs. Bolton set a full plate of lasagna, italian bread and meatballs in front of Troy, who smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom. Looks good." He reached for his fork, noticing that his hand was off-shaky like it had been all day. He hoped that neither of his parents noticed it.

"So," Mrs. Bolton took a sip of her water. "How was school today?"

Troy kept from rolling his eyes and sighed inwardly. "Fine, Mom." He tried to poke his fork into the lasagna, but kept missing. Mrs. Bolton noticed this and reached.

"Here let me--"

"I can get it, Mom," Troy snapped, not really meaning to, but allowing the frustrations of earlier that day rising up again along with the rest of what he knew was to come.

Jack looked at his wife. "Let him."

Mrs. Bolton drew her arm back and Troy stabbed his fork onto his plate, causing it to slip and fall on the ground. He sighed and tossed his head back.

"God..." He muttered and clenched his jaw.

"It's alright, Troy," Mrs. Bolton bent down and grabbed it. "It was an accident." She went into the kitchen to get a new fork and Troy watched her with his eyes.

"Just try to relax," she told him when she sat back down.

Troy took the fork from her hand. "Yeah...thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want me to--"

"I can handle it, Mom! I'm sick of everybody giving me special treatment just because of the accident! I'm still me...I'm still Troy Bolton!" Troy spat out, slamming his fork onto the table and blinking back hot, angry tears.

Silence filled the room after that. Mrs. Bolton looked neither hurt nor swayed; Coach Bolton didn't look the least bit surprised, probably expecting his son to lash out sometime sooner or later. Troy was still blinking back tears, feeling very warm and sick.

"I'm tired of it. I'm still me and I expect people to see that," he put his left hand on the wheel and scooted out of his place at the table and wheeled halfway out of the room before his dad stopped him.

"Troy Dustin Bolton."

Troy looked at his dad, now standing in front of him. He didn't say a thing...only because he couldn't. And he didn't have to. Expression on his father's face spoke words enough. But it didn't mean that Troy wanted to say something.

"Go back to your seat and eat your dinner."

Troy clenched his jaw and kept quiet. But his father was stubborn and insistent. "Troy..."

"It's your fault this happened!" Troy shouted. "If you hadn't insisted on going to search for a high paying college that showed my basket ball talent on a rainy night no less I wouldn't _be_ in this situation!" He ignored all else, letting his hot tears run slowly down his face.

Mrs. Bolton got up after that. "Jack, leave him alone."

Troy's jaw shook as he fixed his eyes on his father. "All you ever think about is yourself, Dad. Your needs, what you want for me...your best interests for me _and _you."

"You know that's not true."

"Is it?" Troy shook his head. "Or do you just think of the things you know and love and want me to join in on them? Because in a perfect world, all you see is me being the All Star that you dreamt of. But what about what _I_ want, okay? You know how many times I've almost called it quits on Gabriella and me for you?" He stopped for a moment to let it sink it. "Or do you just go along to the rhythm of your own beat?"

Coach Bolton sighed. "Troy, you know that I feel responsible for the accident and you know more than anybody in the world that I didn't mean for it to happen."

Troy nodded. "But you have no idea just _how_ hard it is for me, do you? You just have no idea how it is for me to deal with losing everything I ever wanted. Except for two things: my passion for basketball and Gabriella. That's all I have left and that's all I'm hanging onto. And you can do what you want...but I'm going my own road. I'm not going to stop being who I am just because of what happened. And I don't expect for anybody to treat me like I'm not Troy Bolton. But that's what I got...and it isn't what I asked for." He swallowed hard, then looked at his mother. "I'll eat later, Mom."

Mrs. Bolton nodded. "Okay, Honey."

Troy nodded back, didn't cast a passing glance at his father and wheeled himself back into the living room, feeling as heavy as when he'd come home. All he wanted to do was run away. All he wanted to do was make it leave. All he wanted was--

"Hello?"

Gabriella. Sweet girl, Troy always knew that he could count on her. He smiled slowly. "In here!"

Rounding the corner, Gabriella showed up with her sweet smile, dressed simply and her hair up in a ponytail. "Hi."

Troy nodded. "Hey."

"Is everything okay?"

Troy sighed and bit his lower lip. "I guess."

Gabriella walked into the living room and sat in the chair beside him. "Come on, Troy, I know you better than this. Something's bothering you and I want to know. I want to help," she gently took his hand in hers.

"It's just that...everybody expected so much of me," Troy sighed and looked down. "I blew up at Mom and Dad tonight at dinner and I didn't even mean to. It's like this accident has made me a whole other person than who I want to be."

"But you don't have to be. You're still the Troy I met and fell in love with. You're still him," Gabriella replied. "You don't have to change, you don't have to meet those higher expectations."

Troy looked at her, his eyes glistening with tears. "But I want to."

Gabriella stroked his cheek. "Oh, Troy. You want too much. You think that you can make everybody happy. The whole world happy. You can't please everybody. We both know that."

"But I'm at fault."

"No, you're not. Troy, this wasn't supposed to happen and you know that. This wasn't your fault. You know, that too," Gabriella talked to him softly.

Troy took a shaky breath. "But I blame my dad."

Gabriella fell silent and stroked her thumb across his hand. "What about me?"

Troy looked at her in an instant. "What do you mean?"

"Don't think of all this as a loss. Think of it as gain. You still have me and you will always have me. Don't give up just because your dad and Chad and everybody else had the expectations for you that fell short. Don't forget what you have and what you know that you can hold onto."

Tears ran down Troy's face harder and faster than before. "I don't know how."

"Then let me help you. Troy, if it's one thing that I know it's how to help. How to care..." She gently ran her hand down his teary, wet face and gently kissed his forehead. "Let me help."

Troy couldn't take it anymore. All emotion that he had been holding in since the day he left the hospital came out in no less than a minute. His head leaned into her hand and he let out a good cry that evolved into sobs. Gabriella held his head to her shoulder, slowly and gently rocking side to side. She gently kissed his cheek and hummed slowly.

It was this scene that almost broke Mrs. Bolton's heart.

* * *

I tried to make it longer. I hope you liked your two-fer for the day!

Jay


	6. ShoOting StArs WiLl LaNd

**Sorry for the wait on this next chapter. I had it written, then decided I didn't like it and I went to Buffalo for the weekend and I got brainstormed, so here it is!**

* * *

**ShoOting StArs WiLl LaNd**

It was early that next morning when the rising sun found Troy Bolton out back. Dressed simply in a pair of shorts and a jersey, Troy slipped on his black glove via using his teeth and wheeled himself down the newly installed ramp just outside the sliding back door. Once on even ground, he made his way over to the basketball hoop in front of him then looked back down in his lap at his favorite basket ball. He was going to at least try. It wasn't going to hurt anybody none.

Securing the breaks on the wheels, Troy positioned himself perfectly aligned with the hoop and sighed. His left arm hadn't regained perfect strength since the accident, but he knew it was getting better with each day. Yet he also knew that his left hand was very lazy nonetheless before the accident had ever happened. Either way, it didn't hurt to try.

Bracing himself for a possible thrash, he raised the ball onto his left hand and looked at the hoop for a while, thinking about his best alternatives. The best way to make it. Unfortunately, Troy wasn't so sure if he could fling it that far with one hand.

"Okay..." He closed his eyes and counted. "One...two...two and half...two and three quarters...three!" Troy flung the ball towards the hoop to the best of his ability. Yet he sighed when saw that he was so far off that it didn't even have a chance to make it into the net.

Frustrated, Troy sighed and laid his head back, closing his eyes. He didn't think he would make it...but there had been such a sure chance...so much so that it made him think twice about trying again.

"You missed."

Troy's head snapped back up and was surprised as ever to see Taylor McKessie standing just three feet away with his run away ball. "Yeah..." He smiled and tried to make a joke out of it. "I guess I did, huh?"

Taylor was dressed simply for the weekend as well, ponytail and all. She walked over to him, turning the ball over and over in her hands. She seemed to have been thinking hard. And this made Troy think about Chad.

"So can I help you with something?" Troy held his hand out to retrieve the ball back from Taylor. She finally looked at him while handing the ball over.

"I wanted to talk."

"Yeah?" Troy aimed for the hoop again. "What about?" He took a shot. Missed again.

Taylor caught the ball and tossed it back to him. "Chad."

Troy's breath almost caught in his throat. He fingered the basketball in careful strokes of his finger, looking down and thinking hard before her answered. "Yeah? Why?"

"He told me that you have been really cross with him lately."

Hardly believing his ears, Troy tossed the ball out of anger more than anything else that time around. "He said what?"

Taylor grabbed the ball again. "That you were mad at him and said some thigns that shouldn't have been said." She paused and looked at him before handing the ball back over. "He wasn't too happy."

"Yeah, well, neither am I, if you can take a hint," Troy left the ball on his lap and stared hard at Taylor. "Because for as far as you know, he's not telling you the whole story. Only pieces that you want to hear so that he can make me look worse than I already am." He paused. "Trust me, he's trying and he's doing a fantastic job at it."

Taylor fell silent for a moment. "Not the whole story?"

"Yeah. Exactly," Troy threw the ball at the hoop again, missing it by a mile. Taylor grabbed it and dribbled for a few minutes.

"So what's the whole story then?"

"He came onto _me_ first. _He_ was the one who was mad about the accident instead of being there and being a good friend that he so willingly called himself for years," Troy spat.

Taylor thought. She figured this was true, knowing Chad. "But if that's the case, then why can't you two just talk and work things out?"

"Because he won't talk for two seconds without retorting something that makes me so mad that I can't _stand_ yelling back at him! How would you feel? It's not something we can just as easily fix! If he's not willing to..." He chucked the ball at the hoop post, "...then neither am I. If our friendship is the cost of all this, then that's his choice...but I need to know."

Never remembering a time she'd seen Troy get so upset since before the accident, Taylor nodded. She cleared her throat and looked at him with genuine concern. "I understand where you're coming from. And I know both you and Chad and how you two can be. I don't blame you guys for being mad at each other. But you can't just let it all go to waste. He can help you...but only if you both really want to come to terms with what happened. I know for a fact that he's confused and afraid. He just has a hard time showing it."

Troy shook his head and rested his hand on the left wheel. "Yeah, well, if he was _really_ willing to help me, he'd have a different way of showing his emotions rather than just taking his rage out on me."

Unlocking his wheels, Troy turned around, wanting to leave the conversation as is. He was fed up and all he wanted to do was talk to somebody else. Yet Taylor wasn't finished and walked behind him without hesitation or thought.

"Your dad made him captain."

Troy stopped, then turned slowly. "Really?"

Taylor nodded. "I thought you would have known."

"Yeah, well, like me and Chad, my dad and I aren't exacly on good terms, either," Troy's tone wasn't harsh or even angry. Instead, it was sullen and almost silent. Taylor felt sympathy.

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened, but--"

"You don't have to be, Taylor," Troy felt frustration. "I'm tired of everybody treating me different. Why can't they just see that I'm still me? I don't want you or anybody else feeling sorry for me. I'm not sorry for what happened."

"But you're angry."

"You're right, I am," Troy raised his left arm in a gesturing way. "But you know what? I've always known that things happen for a reason. Maybe this was just one of those things."

Taylor wasn't convinced. "You say that, Troy, but you don't really believe that now, do you? If things happened for a reason, you don't see it now. All you see is fault. Whether or not it's in yourself or your dad."

Troy sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am. All I know is that it happened and there is _nothing_ in the whole entire world that can fix or even un-do what's been done. Trust me, if there were, I'd be looking for it until the death."

Silence followed and Troy was preparing more than anything to break for another departure, but something kept him there. Whether it was the look on Taylor's face or not, he just couldn't leave. He had a feeling that she wanted to say more. And she did.

"Don't you see a bright side to this?"

Troy bit the inside of his cheek. "If I did, don't you think I'd be talking about it?"

"How about the fact that you still have Gabriella?"

"I hardly count that."

"Oh do you?" Taylor circled him. "Think about it Troy. She could have left you after the accident just as much as Chad did. Figuring that there was no reason to be with someone who could walk anymore. Who couldn't be the basketball star anymore. But she didn't. I would call that huge."

Troy thought. This made more sense to him as anything else, and he had to agree, he liked it a lot. A slow smile played on his lips. "You're right. I don't know what I'm thinking anymore these days."

Taylor knelt beside him. "It takes time, Troy. You need to give it time. And you need to give it that time. All the while, you need to adjust and believe that you can do just as much as you could when you were able to walk."

Troy looked down. "It's hard."

"I know it is," Taylor stood up. "But like I said, it's going to take time to heal. And you need to allow that time to come slowly to you."

Sighing, Troy nodded and turned around, preparing to go back inside. Taylor stood there for the moment, not saying anything, but watching him leave. She knew that she had given him plenty enough to think about.

All he had to do was apply it.

* * *

By the time night fell, it was raining hard. Gabriella sat beside Troy on the couch comfortably...almost as if he were able to move wholly. The TV wasn't on, but they were talking just as normally as they would have any other time. It was just what Troy wanted all this time so far. 

"Taylor came by today."

"Oh?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. She gave me a lot to think about."

"Did it help?" Gabriella played with his fingers.

"It was a lot to take in, but I think that it will help as I go along. Gradually, of course. It's going to take time for all of this to really settle in for me. I'm still not totally over it."

Gabriella looked up at him. "And there's no hurry for you to get there. Take your time. She's right. It will take time and it will get better. You'll see." She smiled.

Troy nodded. "I know. But until then, I'm just glad to at least still have you around." He smiled at her and gently kissed her cheek. "Because that's honestly better than not having anybody."

Gabriella smiled back and nodded. "Thank you."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning flashed only once. The lights flickered and it wasn't long until Mrs. Bolton showed up. "Gabriella, your mother called. She would like me to take you home before the storm gets any worse."

Gabriella nodded. "Okay, thanks." She got up from the couch. "Do you want help or.."

"No, I'll get it," Troy shook his head.

"Okay," she smiled and gave him a short, sweet kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Troy nodded. "Okay. Bye."

He watched his mother and Gabriella leave, then slowly and with much maneuvering and thinking, got himself back into his manual wheelchair and strapped himself in around the waist. He slid his glove on using his teeth again and headed out of the living room and for the side door that led out to the driveway. Seeing that neither his dad's SUV nor his mom's car were in the drive way, he flung open the back door and wheeled himself furiously out into the storm. He was soaked in less than a minute, his left arm pumping him onto the sidewalk and away from his house. He didn't look back and he didn't notice his father pulling into the driveway behind him. He didn't notice anything at all and didn't want to stop for anything at all.

The pain was beginning to shoot up nothing short of unbearable.

Jack Bolton walked into the front door. He figured that his wife had taken Gabriella home and knew that this would be a chance to talk to Troy. He locked the door and walked into the living room.

"Troy?"

When no answer came, he heard the wind fluttering what sounded like an open window or door against the wall. His curiousness edging in, Jack headed towards the back of the house. "Troy?" Again with no answer, he rounded the corner to be greeted by a soaked floor and a wide open door. Confused for a moment, he stood there. Then he thought twice and ran out.  
"Troy!"

Troy Bolton was getting tired. But he was almost there. He knew he was. If he could make it, then it would all be over. If he could just reach...

But he stopped short, just a block away from Gabriella Montez's house. Rain drenched him in all aspects and you couldn't tell that he had tears running down his face with the downpour.

Yet if he could just make it...

Jack rushed to his SUV and revved the engine, speeding out of the driveway and down the road. He didn't really know where his boy would head, but he figured that trying Gabriella's house was just as good as anything. He took a sharp turn down a street, memorizing where she exactly lived. He'd left his cell at home in a hurry to pursue Troy, so calling would not be an option.

Nothing was running through his mind worse than what could happen to his boy.

Troy furiously unbuckled the belt that held him into his chair on the sidewalk across the street from Gabriella's. His mother's car wasn't ther anymore, so he knew that she would have left. He tore the belt off him, trying to catch his sobs the whole entire time and let himself fall onto the pavement back first. Nothing hurt but the gentle, yet stern bump of his head hitting the ground and edge of the grass. He let the rain engulf him, laying there and overturned his chair with one forceful push from his entire left arm. Thunder rolled and more than anything, Troy just wanted it all to go away.

Go away and never come back.

Jack Bolton made another turn onto the opposite street his son was on and stopped as soon as he saw Gabriella's house. He ran out of his car and up to the front door, knocking almost furiously.

Gabriella had answered not a moment after, somewhat surprised. "Coach Bolton...hi...what's wrong?"

"It's Troy," he answered breathlessly.

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know where he is and--" He turned when he heard a car horn honk and saw his wife's blue car pull up beside his. Gabriella was way beyond confused and worried at this point.

Mrs. Bolton ran out of her car and up to the step. "I tried to call you," her voice was shaky, "I couldn't find Troy."  
"I know. I came home, he wasn't there and the back door was left open," Jack reassurred her.

Gabriella looked at both of them. "You mean he ran off?"

"That's my inital guess."

Gabriella thought, then grabbed a whistle she saw laying on the table beside the door. "I'll help you find him. And if I do, I'll blow with this. You'll hear it, trust me."

Both Troy's parents initally agreed, getting into the SUV. Gabriella armed herself in a navy blue raincoat and headed out onto the opposite side of the street as Troy's parents had gone.

"Troy!" She called effortlessly, her voice seemingly lost in the rain. "Troy!" She turned around, her hair now getting soaked to her neck and forehead and squinted when she saw something big laying on its side. Then she happened to see a flash of white...

Troy's eyes were closed, ignoring everything else around him except for the rain. He would lay there for as long as someone would find him. He would stay there and cry out all his troubles where nobody would find him. He would stay.

"Troy!"

Opening his eyes, Troy turned his head slowly. He swore he heard Gabriella. That was to be expected, since he was in front of her house across the street. But he wondered how...unless either his mom or dad noticed his absence and went out searching for him.

"Troy!"

Yes, that was her. It was undeniable. Nobody had a voice like hers. Lifting himself up with his one arm, he was turned enough to see her standing just a few inches away from the curb where he was.

She was drenched from head to toe, eyes staring through him. He could feel it. He felt utterly foolish then, but didn't think anything of it. Instead, his voice was icy and cracked. "What are you doing!"

"Looking for you! What is wrong with you Troy!"

"I'm sick of this! I'm sick of everything that's been going on lately!"

Gabriella waved an arm. "What about Taylor! What about what she told you, what about me! Troy, you don't need to run away! You have people you can talk to!"

"It doesn't make it any better!" Troy felt the lump swell in his throat again. "What's the difference of confronting when fear overrides me anyway!"

"It makes all the difference, Troy! You have people who love you! Why can't you get past all this and see it!" Gabriella pleaded, tears penetrating her cheeks. "Troy, your dad was a mess when he came looking for you to me! He was scared! I never seen him act like that! Think of what you're doing to your parents!"

Troy breathed hard. "It's his fault!"

"That may be so, but you have to forgive! Both of you need to forget and move on! He's your dad, Troy, he loves you more than you think! Give it another chance, Troy, please!"

As soon as she spoke, Jack ran across the street to where Gabriella was and almost lunged at Troy. "What is the matter with you!" He held Troy's face in his hands. "What were you thinking! You gave me a heart attack, Troy, what were doing!"

Troy couldn't speak. The lump in his throat was too large to even say what he wanted to. Yet in the middle of everything, he could but make out in the tiniest voice, "I'm sorry, Dad."

Jack nodded and hugged him tightly. Troy could do nothing but give into it and let out every emotion that was inside him. He didn't car anymore. Gabriella and Taylor were right. He didn't have to be afraid. He didn't have to hide.

"I'm sorry," Troy kept saying over and over again.

Jack Bolton held onto his son tightly, yet warmly and laid his head against his. "It's alright, it's alright. I'm sorry, too, Troy, okay? I'm sorry, too."

There had been no place on earth to which Troy Bolton would rather have been at that moment. It had been the best feeling he had that whole week.

And he loved it.

* * *

**There ya go. Longer I hope for you guys. And the second scene of this story with everything was inspired by "How Could This Happen to Me" by Simple Plan.**

**Jay**


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